Resettlement and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: The influence and challenges of statutory guidance from professional perspectives for young people released from prison

Abstract This paper considers the views and experiences of local authority professionals in the policy context of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice (CoP) in the youth justice system in England, focusing on the resettlement transition. Resettlement is the period after a young person has been released from prison, during which time they receive support to facilitate rehabilitation from offending—including transitions back into education. It is a complex period of transition, presenting both challenges and opportunities. The youth justice population, and the resettlement cohort in particular, exhibit a wide array of needs and SEND are endemic. Despite this, the relationship between education, resettlement and SEND is largely unexplored. This paper reports on qualitative research, involving semi‐structured interviews with professionals ( n = 30) from youth justice agencies and education providers, across three English local authorities. The main findings are that the SEND CoP is broadly ineffective at supporting the resettlement population due to issues of funding, resource availability and difficult inter‐agency relationships, but also has empowering potential which could be further leveraged and explored. These findings highlight that the CoP exists in a complex arena of practice and policy, involving the intersection of local and national factors. Theoretically informed implications of the CoP and its implementation are also discussed, including the roles of stigma and organisational culture in shaping the implementation of the CoP in the local authorities studied.